Scotland’s James Wilson knows his country have produced four South African Amateur Champions since 2011. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

SCOTLAND’S James Wilson is dreaming of becoming a fifth Scottish winner in a decade after reaching the quarter-finals of the South African Amateur Championship, at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC.

The Scots  have dominated the third oldest championship in the world of golf which dates back to 1892. And 15 year-old Pretorian Christiaan Maas (see below) stands between Wilson and a place in the semi-final on Thursday afternoon.

Wilson, from Balmore GC, beat England Boys international Robin Williams 4&3 to book his place in the last eight at Royal Johannesburg, which has been a regular venue for the European Tour in South Africa.

Williams is one of the best teeange talents, certainly in Europe, having won a MENA Tour event as an amtaeur in the autumn, and would have been dreaming of claiming his first international men’s amateur title.

But Wilson ensured at least one Scot remained in the hat by producing two commanding performances on Wednesday.

Wilson beat Parkview’s Cole Stevens by one hole in the second round before lunch, after making a birdie two at the driveable par-four 16th to take the lead.

The winner of the Welsh Open Strokeplay two years ago closed out his last 32 match with a four on the last before facing Williams, from Peterborough Milton).

Wilson needed to be at his best, winning five holes in a row thanks to a run in which he made four birdies.

If Wilson can make it into the semi-finals, he will be guaranteed to face the Auld Enemy in his bid to make Friday’s final.

Frilford Heath’s Olly Huggins, will be hoping to go one better in the South African Amateur after losing a play-off in the African Amateur Stroke Play. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

England are guaranteed at least one player in the semi-finals of the South African Amateur Championship with B.B.&O. county player Olly Huggins meeting Jake Bolton in the top half of the draw, in Thursday’s quarter-final.

Frilford Heath’s Huggins – who lost a play-off for the African Amateur Championship two weeks ago – will be up against Wiltshire’s Bolton.

The winner of that match will face the winner of Wilson’s match.

Bolton has been climbing up the rankings over the past year – boosted by victory in the Scottish Amateur Strokeplay Championship, in August.

The runner-up in last year’s Hampshire Salver, after losing a play-off in the Selborne Salver at Blackmoor – against England junior international Charlie Strickland – has been promoted to the England A squad as result.

And the Ogborne Downs member beat another Englishman in the shape of Haider Hussain, winning the 18th to go two-up to book his place in the last eight.

That was the match-up that Huggins, from Oxfordshire, was keen to have after he pulled off a pair of 4&3 wins – over South African Nash de Klerk in the morning, and over the imposing Nordin van Tilburg, from the Netherlands, in the afternoon’s third round.

“I’m really happy,” said Huggins. “I’m hitting my driver really good, hitting the fairway, and my caddie is giving me good lines.

“I’ve been struggling the last two weeks with lines.”

The Oxfordshire ace got it to five-up through 12, but then Van Tilburg came back at him after lunch.

“I knew he was going to come back at me with a couple of birdies,” said Huggins. “I was ready for it, and he holed some really good putts coming in, and I just made a 20-footer on 15 to close him out.”

Bolton also finished first in the strokeplay qualifer at last year’s Amateur Championship, played at North Hants GC, and Hankley Common, but lost in the second round to Surrey’s Lewis Hinton.

England’s selectors sent the A squad to South Africa hoping to see them emulate the success of Yorkshire’s Ben Schmidt, who claimed the New South Wales Open, in Australia, last month.

And their hopes of producing the first English winner of the South African Amateur title since Somerset’s Laurie Canter back in 2010, were strengthened by results in the bottom half of the draw.

Gloucestershire’s Joe Long defeated South Africa’s Luca Filippi 3&2 and will now play Aneurin Gounden – one of four players from the host country still left in the competition.

Lansdowne Golf Club’s Joe Long is in the bottom half of the draw in the South African Amateur, and will be hoping to reach the semi-final after losing in the last eight in 2017.
Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

Long was beaten in the final of the English Amateur two years ago by Sussex’s Tom Thurloway.

And having reached the quarter-final in the South African Amateur three years ago, he is still on course to claim a first international victory.

He has the motivation of wanting to play in the Eisenhower Trophy later this year, having seen his county team-mate Mitch Waite – who joined him on their first trip to South Africa three years ago – go on to become a full England international, and play in the last World Amateur Team Championship at Ireland’s Carton House, in 2018.

Long made his Home Internationals debut as England won the Raymond Trophy at Conway GC, off the back of losing to Thurloway at Formby GC, but lost his place in 2019 despite finishing third in the European Amateur Championship.

Having qualified in second place in the strokeplay qualifier earlier this week, and gone close in the South African Amateur Strokeplay Championship last week, Long will be longing to make it into Friday’s final.

But first he must beat Gounden, who went all the way to the 21st hole before he downed Gergory McKay – and that was after he took 19 holes to defeat Scotland’s Darren Howie, from Peebles GC, in the morning.

It could have been even better for the Scots but Castle Park’s Scottish international Connor Wilson – who was fourth in last year’s St Andrews Links Trophy, also lost to youngster Christo Lamprecht by two holes.

Lamprecht, the youngest champion in the Aon South African Amateur championship, overcame that shaky victory to run out a 4&3 winner over Dutchman Koen Kouwenaar, last year’s Spanish Amateur Champion to reach the quater-final.

Reigning South African Stroke Play Champion Casey Jarvis kept his ‘double’ dream alive when he overcame left-handed Frenchman Nicolas Muller, on the 20th hole, in a tough match.

Jarvis’ win came after 4&2 win over compatriot and 2019 finalist Jordan Duminy in the morning’s second round.

Teeanger Christiaan Maas pulled off the shock of the day beating African Amateur Strokeplay Champion Martin Vorster to reach the quarter-finals. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

Maas makes charge by knocking out African Stroke Play champ Vorster

YOUNG gun Christiaan Maas charged through an open door after Martin Vorster’s putter deserted him, to play his way into the quarter-finals.

The 15-year-old Pretoria junior defeated Vorster by one when the African Amateur Stroke Play champion left his eagle putt on 18 agonisingly short – a putt which would have handed him the hole – and a chance to extend the match into sudden-death.

For Maas, there is the thrill of playing in the quarters that awaits him.

“I’m taking a lot of confidence from the win into the quarter-finals,” Mass said.

“Now I know I’ve beaten Martin, who has won all over the world, and he’s a great player. I feel like my game’s almost there, but I must get a little bit better.”

Mass stepped up and nervelessly rammed home a 10-footer to seal the victory and set up a quarter-final clash with another Scot – James Wilson.

The GolfRSA Junior Protea got to two-up through the 11th. But his lead was cut to just one after the 13th when Vorster made birdie to arrest his slide, which had started with bogeys on nine and 11.

“I played extremely good golf this morning,” said Maas of his 4&3 win in the previous round over Germany’s Connor Engelmohr.

“And my putter was on fire. In the afternoon, my putter went a bit cold, but I managed to not make a drop against Martin.

“Unfortunately for him, his putter went cold on the back nine, and fortunately for me, I made a 10-footer on the last to win.

“He’s a very tough opponent. He hits it miles, great iron-play, his putter was just a bit cold today.”

Vorster had two earlier opportunities down the stretch to pull things back.

After Maas hit the flag with his birdie chip on the 16th, Vorster missed his birdie putt on the right edge. Then, on 17, he had a three-footer for birdie and it just missed the edge.

“My putting let me down today,” said Vorster.

Now Maas will face Scottish ace James Wilson for that place in Thursday afternoon’s semi-final.

Wilson will be clearly motivated by the chance to join that list of Scottish winners – Michael Stewart (2011), Brian Soutar (2012), Daniel Young (2015) and Craig Ross (2016).

•To follow the results of Wilson in the quarter-finals, click here.

The post James Wilson faces fight with Maas for place in the last four at South African Amateur appeared first on Golf North.

Samuel Simpson claimed the Proudfoot Trophy for South Africa after winning the 36-hole strokeplay qualifier at the South African Amateur Championship at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, on Monday. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT.

SAMUEL Simpson claimed the Proudfoot Trophy for topping the 36-hole strokeplay qualifier for the matchplay stage of the Aon South African Amateur Championship.

After hitting possibly the best two-iron of his life, it set up what turned out to be a decisive eagle for Simpson.

After making three birdies in the opening seven holes to pull himself into a share of the lead, which stood at 10-under after Casey Jarvis set the clubhouse target in the morning at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club in the morning, Simpson eagled eight.

That put him into a lead he never relinquished as South African Simpson made one more birdie on his way in after the turn and saw off the challenging group that included England’s Joe Long and Haider Hussain, who maintained their form from last week’s South African Stroke Play Championship at Randpark, where they finished in the top 10.

Seventeen-year-old Simpson, from the Western Province, said: “I took three-wood off the tee on the eighth hole just to put myself into position.

“I had 245 to the flag and I hit a great two-iron to about three feet and rolled that one in for eagle. That was really cool.”

There are some big names on the Proudfoot Trophy, including Masters winner Trevor Immelman, European Tour winners Brandon Stone and Haydn Porteous.

And more recently, that list includes former Freddie Tait Cup winner Jovan Rebula, the 2018 Amateur Champion, who is the nephew of four-time Major winner Ernie Els.

“It’s great,” said Simpson. “I haven’t really thought about the names that have been on it, but it will be really cool to see my name on it in the future.”

The East Course at Royal Johannesburg is a stern test and, for Simpson to have gone bogey-free as he held on to his three-stroke edge over Jarvis, countryman Christiaan Maas and Gloucestershire’s Joseph Long was an impressive feat.

He felt his putter let him down somewhat in last week’s South African Stroke Play, which Jarvis romped away with.

“It was not the best putting performance from me last week,” said Simpson. “This week, it’s only two weeks done, but the putter was definitely rolling and I’m looking forward to more like it in the match play.”

Jarvis got it to 11-under as he looked to be on his way to a possible second title inside seven days.

But he incurred a penalty stroke for inadvertently marking and lifting his ball which was just on the edge of a green.

That saw him finish at 10-under, and although that was three strokes back, he was still in a good place going into this week’s matchplay.

“I played some good golf out there,” said Jarvis. “I’m really confident heading into the matchplay. I’m pleased for my friend Sam for winning the Proudfoot – he deserves it because he’s been playing very well lately.”

Long Ashton’s Joe Long broke the course record at Royal Johnannesburg with a 65 in his second round, finishing second in the Proudfoot Trophy. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

LONG’S seven-under-par 65 will be the new course record at Royal after the course underwent some extensive renovation and changes ahead of its reopening last year in January.

The Lansdowne Golf Club member started his round with a bogey on the 10th, which could have disheartened him, but didn’t.

“I had a good bounce-back after the bogey with two birdies in a row,” said Long who lost in the final of the 2018 English Amateur to Sussex’s Tom Thurloway.

The member of the England team over the past two years added: “And then I had another bogey. I dropped the eagle on 18. It was two great shots in and I holed an 18-footer.

“Then I hit another two good shots and holed a six-footer on one. The putter was just on fire, really.”

As the top 64 players go into the matchplay, on Tuesday, the East Course is going to ask some questions of them as they scheme to bring down an opponent, rather than trying to overpower the course.

Long added: “There are some really demanding tee shots that you have to step up and commit to.

“There are tighter fairways. I prefer that and I’m mentally prepared for that,” added Long, who first visited South Africa two winters ago with fellow Gloucestershire team-mate Mitch Waite – who went on to play in the Eisenhower Trophy in 2018, and is now playing on the EuroPro Tour.

For Simpson, the satisfaction of winning the Proudfoot Trophy helps his state of mind going into the shoot-out which is match play.

“I started yesterday with a nice seven-under, which put me in a good position to go out there today and shoot a low number,” said Simpson.

“I just have to put things into perspective and tell myself that it’s only two rounds done. There are a lot of matchplay rounds left. I’ve just got to focus on going out there tomorrow and playing the best I can.”

The final spots for the first round of the knock-out stages were decided in a 10-man play-off on two-over-par, with Frenchman Elliot Anger and South Africans Siyanda Mwandla and Christopher Gutuza coming up trumps.

Also through to the knockout is Yorkshire’s Hampshire Salver winner Sam Bairstow, who was fifth, on the same score as Norfolk’s James Biggs and Scotland’s Darren Howie and Conor Wilson.

Yorkshire’s Sam Bairstow is through to the last 64 at the South African Amateur Championship. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

Scotland’s Stuart Easton and James Wilson, were 30th and 33rd respectively after both carded rounds of 70 and 71 over the two days to make into the draw.

Wiltshire’s Scottish Amateur Strokeplay Champion Jake Bolton, from Ogbourne Downs, who led qualifying at the English Amateur in August, was 37th after two rounds of 71.

Peterborough and Milton England international Robin Williams finished in 45th place, while Harleyford’s Peter Handcock also made it through.

The latter lost to Amateur Champion Scott Gregory in his first taste of a national championshp in the English at The Berkshire in 2017, recovered from an opening 75 to card a 69 and grab 48th place.

•To see the final scores in the Proudfoot Trophy click here. For details of the draw for the first round of the matchplay in the South African Amateur Championship click here.

Scotland’s Darren Howie finished in the top five to make it into the matchplay at the South African Amateur Championship. Picture by ERNEST BLIGNAULT

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